Small Space Solutions: Murphy Bed Ideas & Inspiration

A Murphy bed is a great way to save floor space in a small studio or even a guest room. But it’s also a pretty big investment, furniture-wise. If you’re considering a Murphy bed, whether you plan to buy one or build it yourself, first check out this roundup of sources and ideas.

Above: When their son was born, Allison and Trevor wanted to find a way to to make their600 square foot, one bedroom apartmentwork for a family. So they turned the bedroom into a nursery for little Theo, and got a Murphy bed for themselves, which turns the living room into a bedroom by night and folds out of sight by day. This model is byResource Furniture.

Garrett, the winner of 2013’s small cool contest, maximizes the space in his 340 square foot New York apartment with a Murphy bed. The mirrored back gives the illusion of more space in a small apartment, and helps the bed blend in a little with the rest of the furnishings.

A Murphy bed makes this 242 square foot apartment, spotted onCurbed, livable for not one but two people.

This guest room, spotted onHouzz, has a built-in Murphy bed that folds out when the homeowners have guests, and folds up the rest of the time to turn the space into a sitting room. The all-over white palette helps the bed blend in.

This twin bed-turned-library, fromMurphy Wall Beds,将成为完美的一种多用途的客人room.

This built-in Murphy bed, spotted onHouse & Home, turns a basement into a guest room when the need arises. Built-in niches on either side of the bed function as nightstands.

This Murphy bed, spotted onSouthern Living, can be concealed by curtains when not in use.

This Murphy bed, part of a space byCaitlin + Caitlin Interior Design, folds up into a closet when not in use.

One clever DIYer fromIKEA Hackersset up a murphy bed that’s concealed by bookcases when not in use. The bookcases are on wheels, and swing out like doors when you need to fold down the bed.

The Swing bed, fromResource Furniture, folds up to reveal a 3-seater sofa. They also haveplenty of other beds with integral sofas, as well as styles that incorporate desks or even a dining table. This neatly solves one Murphy bed problem: how to best make use of the floor space vacated by the bed during the day.